Flexible wheel



June 7, 1927. 1,631,349

W. THORNTON FLEXIBLE WHEEL Filed May 17, 1926 Wm T L'on/ Patented June 7, 1927.

"UN-ET s1" WILLIAM 'rnomvron, or sALr Axn qrrY, UTAH.

' FLEXIBLE WHEEL."

Application filed May 17, 1526. Serial n). 109,734.

The present, invention relates to improve ments in flexible wheels for ve'hicles,' 'and has for an object to provide any automobile or other vehiclewheel ofcompact and sturdy. construction, but which willnevertheless in corporate a high degreeof resiliency capable of adequately absorbingall road shocks. 7 p

Another object of thef'invention is to pro ,vide an improved flexible, wheel of simplefl and inexpensive construction inwh ch j the shock absorbing elements are protected from the wear incident to traveland from exposure to weather and other detrimental influences,whilebeing accessible foreasy adj ustrnent. i

With the foregoing and otherobj'ectsin view, the invention will be merc fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outinthe claims appended hereto. In the drawings, whereinlike symbols referto like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views,v

Figure 1 is, a side elevation of an im proved flexible wheel constructed according to the presentainvention; I f 1 Figure 2 is an edge view ofxthewheel partially section, and. j y :j V a Figure 3 is a perspective view {of one of the flexible elements in detached parts, i v 1 Referring more particularly to the drawings, 4: designates the wheel body whichinay be of wood or other appropriate material. Upon theouter rim of the-wheel is the metal or other telly band'5'for receiving the road engaging tire 6, which maybe of hard rubberor other appropriate material. 7 At the sides of the-tire 6 are rings .an di which serve to'hold the tire in place and'prevent its lateral creeping. The rings 7 and 8 are brazed or oth erwise secured upon the annular angle iron strips 9 and 71.0 which, env velop the opposite edges of the fellylband 5 and extend inwardly at both inner and outer sides of the wheel. Boltsrll areused to secure the angle strips Sland lO together, such bolts passing through thebo'dyA: of the wheel. The felly band 5 protects the circumferential face ofthe wheel body and acts as a solid,hard-surfaced base for-the aother component parts of the rim.

,The rubber tire 6' may beattached tothe -fe1ly band 5 or rim asby. vulcanizing and the rings or tires 7; and-8 :are preferably: of steel and sweated on the annular angle strips "or flanges!) and '10. A rimindicated at 'l2 closed outer end and inner out-turned ang e strip 9 andheld by bolts 11, can be used where made necessary by heavy serv-' ice conditions, such as heavy loads, deep mud, etc. This rim 12fc'an be fa'cech'if desired,- with some suitable non-skid material, i v

such as rubber. a y

The center of the wheelbody is cored outto provide a throughpassage of suitable bushing 14, preferably of rubber. The ends of the bushing project outwardlybeyond the side faces of thefwheeljbodyan d such outer projecting ends are beveled oritapered as indicated at'15.v

. The wheel body 4 covered by the inner and outer'discs or plates'16 and 17 of metal or other suitable material, such plates being substantially in thefo'rm of a drum with" flange 13 adapted to be seated beneath the I diameter in which is located the flexible spaced away froin' the side faces ofthe wheel body and being placed against the rubber, or

'flexiblebushingDL- The plate 16 is secured as by the rivets 18 or other appropriate fastenings to an annularflange- IQ projecting V goutwardly' at jonejend of afsleeve 20, which,

fits through the central opening'of the flexiv o e s ing 1 f The plate '17 is secured as' by 'the rivets. 21 to'an outwardlyexten'ding flange 22 upon one endof a, sleeve-23 whichtelescopes jwith in the;'compani0nsleeveI20} The endof the inner sleeve 23 opposite the flange 22 projects beyond the companiongsleeve20 and its flange 19and isthreaded on'its projecting 1 .part to re'ceivethe adj j gti by the rotation which h fl n es wa 2 may :moved together or permittedt Spread ,i

apart; As theseiflanges are moved together or permitted to'spreadapart, ofycourse, the

manner and this either acts to compressthe flexiblebushing 14 or permitsit to: expand ripheries engage against the outwardly "projecting tapered ends of anannular series of bushings 25' of rubber or other suitable ma- :terial nountedthrough cored out portions ,plates or discs'16 311C117 are moved in like of the body of the wheel}: In Figure lthese ancillary'bushin'gs are eight in number, al-

though any number may be used and they are grouped circumferentially about the central flexible bushing 14 and; upon equal "radii. i E ac-h ancillary bushing-is provided with the telescoping sleeves 26 and 27 having respectively the flanges 28 and 29 riveted, or otherwise secured to the plates or discs 16 and 17 which extend upon the inner. sides of these flanges and against the projecting tapered ends of the flexible bushings 25.

Through each set of telescoping sleeves engages a bolt 30 having a projecting threaded end to receive the adjusting nut 31 by which the tension in the bushing bodies can be vregulated. Retaining washers 32, composed of a material somewhat harder and less resilient than the flexible bushings are located between the wheel body 4 and the discs 16 and 17. These retaining washers are provided with central apertures through which extend the tapered ends of the bushings 25.

In operation, shocks and jars, incident to road travel aretransmitted through the flexiseitherdiminished orv increased. The tav the adjusting nuts 24 -and31 the disc 16 pering of theprojecting ends of the bushings permits more ready condensing and compressing of these bushings in the wheel body, tending to'produ'ce a radial thrust of the flexible material against thesurrounding material of the wheel body 4;. 'The retaining Washers 32'liinit the vertical motiono'l the projecting. ends of the flexible bushings and the steelframework which moves with them, and also limit the extent to which this framework can be forced out of a ver tical plane, parallel to the wheel body l, by eccentric loads due toroadshocks on one side or other of the wheel. By removing together with the telescoping bushings 26 and 20 can be readily removed to allow inspection or renewal of flexible bushings lfl' and 25 without disturbing the entire wheel. Asinany bushingsas desired maybe used andcertain or all of these. bushings provided with adjusting means. I

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above speciflcally described embodiment of this invention- Without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes-and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. I

What is claimed is v 1, A flexible wheel comprising a wheel body, a road engaging tire thereon, a main flexible bushing at the central portion of the wheel, ancillary flexible bushings 111 the wheel body distributed about said central bushing; and a metal cage adapted to be mounted on the axle and floating in said flexible bushings.

2. A flexible Wheel comprising a wheel body, a road engaging tire thereon, a main flexible bushing at the central portion of the wheel, ancillary flexible bushings the wheel body, distributed about said 'central bushing, and a rigid cage having attachment to both the main and the ancillary bushings and being cushioned by all such bushings" combined, said cage adapted to be tit-ted upon an axle of the Vehicle. v

3. A flexible wheel comprising a wheel. body, a road engaging the thereon, a main flexible bushing at the central portion of the wheel, ancillary flexible bushings in the wheel body distributed about said. central and-against opposite ends ofsaid bushings,

the ends of said bushings being spaced beyond the sides of the wheel body, and means passing through said bushings and connected rigidly to said discs and adapted to permit the discs'to move together against said bushgngls for compressing. the same in said wheel 5; A flexible wheel comprising a wheel body, a road engaging tire thereon- 'a main flexible bushing at the cent-ral'portion of the wheel, ancillary flexible bushings in the wheel body distributed about said central bushing, a metal cage composed of discs fitted upon opposite sides of the wheel body and against opposite ends of said bushings, the ends ofsaid bushings being spaced beyond'the sides of the wheel body', means 7 passingthrough said bushings and connected rigidly to said discs and adapted to permit the discs to move together against said bushings for compressing the same in'sai-d wheel body, and means for drawing said discs together against the projecting ends of said bushings. I I

6. A flexible Wheel comprising a wheel body, a road engaging tire thereon, a main flexible bushing at the central portion of the Wheel, ancillary flexible bushings in the wheel body distributed about said central bushing, said bushings having tapered ends pro ecting beyond the sides of the wheel body, discs fitted against said tapered prothrough the flexible bushings and secured to opposite discs, and means associated with said telescoping sleeves for drawing the sleeves and discstogether upon the flexible 1 V bushings.

7. A flexible Wheel comprising a Wheel body, a felly protecting band encircling the Wheel body, a flexible tire narrower than the wheel body and band secured on said band,

annular angle strips einbracing the sides of: sald band, engaging against the tire and having portions extendingabout the side faces I of the Wheelbody adjacent its outer periphery, means, to" secure said latterportions to the Wheel body, and rings secured on said annular 'an lel strips and fitting against the sides of sai tire.

WILLIAM THORNTON} 

